Removable closure for deferred action batteries



P 1951 L." D. JENNINGS ETAL 2,568,340

REMOVABLE CLOSURE FOR DEFERRED ACTION BATTERIES Filed March s. 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

A awrence D .Z'fnn/nys and J'ase o Nay/n K.

ATTORNEY Sept- 8, 1951 L. :5. JENNINGS ET AL 2,568,340

REMOVABLE CLOSURE FOR DEFERRED ACTION BATTERIES Filed March 8, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: L DVENTQR5 j/ qwrence ennzngs i2 Z5 and/Tgieph Nay/291K.

' FMZ. 7

ATTORNEY Se t. 18, 1951 D. JENNINGS ET AL 2,558,340

REMOVABLE CLOSURE FOR DEFERRED ACTION BATTERIES.

Filed March 8, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l l l l Q l l 1 19'. 3 I

L i I I l 29 l I l a a 0 I I 26 24 l C) I a;

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wnmzssas; L I NTQR g awrence enru gs a W and.7 sep/7 Naymil w; BY

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 18, 1951 REMovAnLnoLosURE FORYDEFEBRED ACTION BATTERIES 7 Lawrence used .ie'iihings and oseph Naymik;

Sharon, Pazg assign o'rs, by mesneass'ignnients;

to the United states of America as represented by the Secretary or the Navy hpplicatiiiii Maroii'ii, 194s; erial N6. 653,191

Claims.

This invention relates generally tov control apparatus and more particularly to control apparatus for flooding the battery compartment or casket of a torpedo utilizing a primary battery requirin seawater a the electrolyte.

One object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for opening the ports to a torpedo battery compartment which is simple in construction and effective in operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a control apparatus for flooding a torpedo battery compartment in which the motion of the torpedo through the water is utilized to inducea circulating flow of water through the battery casket.

Another object of this invention is to provide a control apparatus for flooding a torpedo battery compartment which requires a minimum of electrical power for operation.

Yet another object of this inventionis to pro:

vide a control apparatus for pulling the sealed The foregoing statements are merely illustra tive of the various aims and objects of this in vention Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon a study of the following specification when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a portion of a torpedo illustrating the apparatus of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the assembly of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively enlarged side and plan views of one of the battery casket port or opening covers, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively enlarged end and side views of the other battery casket opening cover.

Recent developments in electrically operated torpedoes have brought into use primary batteries of the type utilizing seawater on the electrolyte. These batterie must be kept dry until they are to be used and are, hence, sealed in a battery casket within the torpedo hull. When the torpedo is to be launched it is inserted into the torpedo or launching tube after which air pressure is applied and the torpedo ejected therefrom into the water. Usually about onehalf second i required for the torpedo to move from the tube, during which time the torpedo is accelerated to substantially full speed and all control functions such as ripping off the battery casket covers must be accomplished, that the. torpedo upon entering the water will be undei'jiull control. I

In Fig. 1 he torpedo hull is denoted by nu inral' l and the battery casket fragmentarily shown, by numeral 2. A plate 3 having openings 5 and 6 therein covers the end of the battery casket. Openings 5 and B communicate with openings 1 and 8 respectively in plates 9 and l0 through the medium of tubes H and I2, respectii ely. Openings and 8 communicate with passages I3 and I4 extending through the hull of the torpedo. The" lower sys'ter'n of passage ways openings is directed forwardly of the torpedo while the upper system isdirec'ted aft. The arrangement is 'such tliat upon movement or the torpedo throughthe water, the torpedo tendingto ride with the nose thereofslightly elevated to counteract the negative buo'yancy a pressure differential is createdbetwen the pas: sageways, part due" to the pumping act on of lip 40 onca's ting' I3 and the scooping action of projection 4| on casting M' with theresiil't the lower passageway is of higher pressure than the u per; As a consequence upon of the covers l5 and I6, sealingthe openings 1 and 8, respectively, water circulated through the battery casket, entering through the bottom ope s' and leaving through the top. This continually supplies fresh electrolyte to' the pria avj o e Covers l'iand [6 are of specia onstruction and are; torn free of their respective openings rrb j one end only, the other end rem rung secured to the plates adjacent the; respective q'pe ifig's. The cover I15 (see Figs. 2 a nd 3') is r ofshe'etni'etal such as copper and is r fed' approximatdy to the configuration shown, being provided with' a lip 20' which fits" into a recess in the plate 9. The end of this cover which is attached to a bar 2| secured to the end of piston rod 22 is provided with a reinforcing lamination 23 to which pads 24 connecting with bar 2|, are secured. In a similar way cover I6 is provided with reinforcing lamination 25 and pads 26 which connect with the bar 21 of piston rod 28. Cover I6 is provided with lips 20a on three side thereof which fit into cooperating grooves in the plate I0 and the portion thereof which seals opening 8 is provided with a stiffening plate 29 which prevents bending thereof when being ripped from the opening. The cover is preferably secured along the edges of plate 29 so that a clean tear results. Both covers are tinned and sweated to the respective openings.

The mechanism for pulling the covers l5 and V 3 it from the openings, comprises the piston-cylinder assemblies 32 and 33, the assembly 33 being detailed in section, and the pistons of which are actuated by the cartridge devices 35, the cartridge chambers of which ar connected with the respec-, tive cylinder at a point beneath the piston there'- of.

Each cartridge chamber is sealed from the associated cylinder by a Washer 36 to prevent moisture from damaging the caitridgesfill Thei cartridges are fired by a small electrical impulse produced by a suitable mechanism (not shown) which is actuated by an obstruction in the launching tube. A v I Upon firing of the cartridges combustion burst the washer 3$ sealing each chamber and high pressure gas enters the cylproducts of pistons, means for applying fluid under pressure to each of said cylinders to move said pistons andfstr'ip said covers from said opening, said covers stripping from said opening beginning with the end thereof connected to said piston and.

:ff'olding'back about the extremity of each thereof firmly secured to the associated end of said plates.

' plate soldered thereto and being scored along the inders causing the pistons tostroke to the end:

of the cylinders. In the'case of the cover I5 the stripping actionbegins at the topvas viewed and continues downwardly to lip 2!], completely uncoyering opening .1 and in effect forming a side wall of passage i3 completely removed from a position obstructing opening 1. In the case of the lowercover the tearing action begins at the bottom'thereof and the cover is guided over the curved extremity of guide member 38 recessed slightlywith respect to the surface of passage- Way l4. As a consequence of the support afforded by reinforcing lamination'29 and the support provided by guide 38, cover [6 remains substantially flat and fits neatly into the recess provided by the positioning of guide 38 to present a sur face fairly continuous with that of passage M. The seawater thus has an unobstructed passageway into the battery casket through passageway l4 and out through the passageway I 3 rendering the primary'battery active.

The foregoing disclosure and the showings made in the drawings are merely illustrative of the principles of ijthis'invention and are not to be interpreted'in' a'limiting sense. The only limitations are to be determined from the scope of the appended claims;

We claim as our inventioni r i 1. In a torpedowadaptedfor operation from electric power suppliedby a primary battery in which water is utilized as the electrolyte, the combination of,a casket arranged internally of said torpedo for housing said primary battery, means forming entrance and exit passages "communicating with said casket through the hull of said torpedo, closure means'in said passages including plates arranged transversely thereof and having openings therethrough substantially the size of passages, covers of sheet metal soldered to said plates to seal the opening in each there- 2. Apparatus as;recited in claim 1 and in ad- .ditiOm. one of said covers having a stifiening edgesof said plate so that tearing will occur therealong upon motion of said piston.

3'.A-pparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said means for applying fluid under pressure to said-cylinders comprises a cartridge chamber communicating with each of said cylinders, and means for'detonating a cartridge in each cart'ridgechamber.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said means for applying fluid under pressure to said cylinders comprises a cartridge chamber for each of said cylinders, means providing a passage between the associated cartridge chambers and cylinders, a moisture proof diaphragm sealing each of said passages, means for detonating a cartridge in each of said cartridge chambers,

the products of combustion of said cartridges bursting said diaphragms whereby gas under pressure flows to said cylinders.-

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which one of said passages is provided with a recessed section terminatingin a, slot spaced from the securely held end ofthe associated cover a'distance equal to' the length of said cover sealing said opening; tightly secured to the end of said cover being adjacent said recessed section of the passage, the opposite end of said cover being provided with an extension passing through said slot and connecting with said piston, movement of said piston pulling the extension ofsaid cover through said slot and stripping said cover from said opening, said cover folding back about said tightly secured end into said recessed section to provide a substantially flush passage surface.

LAWRENCE DAVID JENNINGS. JOSEPH NAYMIK.

' No references cited. 

